Key conclusions
- Yokai and aliens endow the main characters with unique powers that go against their original beliefs.
- Okaruna's Turbo Granny Curse gives him tremendous speed and strength, but has a serious limitation.
- Turbo Granny has unexpected depth, showing both compassion and deceit, setting up the anime's conflicts.
Dandandan is a shonen anime about two teenagers, Takakura Ken, also known as Okarun, and Momo Ayase, who, after spending so much time believing in aliens and ghosts, discover that their world is overrun with them. These two unlikely friends bond through their curiosity about the strange and unreal, discussing their opposing beliefs and disbelief in each other's fascination with extraterrestrial life and ghosts. Shortly after their first meeting, they encounter two of the most popular UATs and ghosts in their region, where both suddenly gain special abilities. After Takakura Ken's first meeting with Yoka Turbo Grandmother, she curses him.
The suffering of Turbo Grandma's curse is a definite factor that drives the plot of the rest of the anime. In a harmless contest of ideals between the two protagonists, each gains powers that go against their original, unwavering beliefs. Momo gains special psychic powers from the aliens who abducted her, and Ken gains access to superhuman speed through the torment of Grandmother Turbo. An initial source of inconvenience and danger to the heroes due to Ken's lack of control, he becomes a significant source of energy as he interacts with Yoka and the aliens he discovers.
Relatives
Dandadan: Yokai, an explanation
Yokai serve as both plot devices and thematic symbols, enriching the series' exploration of cultural heritage through a modern lens.
The following contains spoilers from the first arc of the series.
A clash of the supernatural and the ordinary
The first meeting of turbo grandma
After Takakura Ken and Momo Ayase first met while discussing the occult and space, they ventured to the most popular Yokai and UAT places where they lived. When they get to their locations for the test of courage, they both encounter things they didn't believe. Momo Ayase soon discovers several humanoid-robot hybrid aliens abducting her, and Takakura Ken discovers a malevolent 100km/h Turbo Granny who curses him. This unexpected encounter with the strange puts both heroes in danger from creatures they don't yet understand.
Okorun dared to go into the tunnel in which, according to legend, Grandmother Turbo is located. Once there, he soon discovers that the legends about her are true and receives a curse from her. Meanwhile, Momo Ayase was dealing with aliens named Serpo who wanted to use her body in search of human genitalia. Through an incredible turn of events, Okorun teleports to the spaceship where Momo is and helps her get out. Through sheer force of will and luck, Okarun manages to use Turbo-Grandma's powers to help Momo escape the spaceship, setting the tone for how Okarun's power will be used throughout the rest of the anime.
Turbo Granny Transformation
How it works
The full power of Turbo Granny's curse is not yet fully understood, but it is extremely powerful and is capable of defeating Evil Eye Yokai, a Mountain Class Yokai, which is the strongest classification of Yokai. Okorun now possesses Turbo Granny's powers as a borrowed power after once her consciousness was sealed from Okorun with her powers still within him. This arrangement gives Okorun tremendous speed, much greater durability, and excellent bite force with his teeth when using this form. This arrangement is limited as Okorun reverses abruptly after accelerating twice at his 100km/h speed.
Okarun's many strong powers make him a tank of sorts, capable of holding back aliens and Yokai, as well as dealing a significant amount of burst damage with his speed. Many of Okaruna and Momo's adventures are fighting aliens in the world Dandadan involve him in testing the limits of his transformation and growing stronger through training. The Turbo Granny form granted to him serves as a last resort rather than a permanent one, as Okarun must carefully use his powers to avoid being helpless against the Yokai and aliens he encounters.
A resounding failure of the Turbo Granny curse
Power to be used wisely
Turbo Granny's curse grants Okarun powers that allow him to fight even the most powerful threats on the Yokai and alien prosceniums. During his transformation, he transcends the limits of his humanity, being several times faster and more durable than a normal human, but it comes at a price. The transformation causes him to tire very quickly, and soon after discovering his powers, he learns that he can only move at full speed twice before becoming completely immobile and essentially a sitting duck. Due to this weakness, he is very dependent on the support Momo Ayase gives him.
The weakness serves as motivation for Okorun to be a very smart fighter as he knows that his ability is essentially a coin toss. Through Okarun's dependence on Momo to overcome the many threats they constantly face, he discovers the extent of his powers and learns to use himself in a risk-free way, so as not to put himself and Momo in danger. Okarun's ability to handle dangerous situations and his appreciation of risk is what makes him a Shounen fan favorite and his adventures worth watching.
Consequences Beyond the Arc: Setting the Stage for Future Conflict
Turbo Granny, an unlikely source of power and just another person
The malevolent turbo-grandmother was the first Yokai to show a tragic past and unexpected motives that showed her not as inherently evil as most Yokai assume, but as someone who was also human. Grandmother Turbo, while showing that she has a dishonest and negative side that fans see as she twists and turns the rules of her game with Okarun, also has a compassionate side. At the end of her tumultuous arc, it was revealed that she empathized with the young girls and often sought out their departed spirits to comfort them. This personality trait caused her to team up with the Earth-bound spirit crab Yokai.
The conclusion of the Turbo Granny Arc set the pace for the anime, giving fans a sense of the trials and tribulations Okorun will face after her limited but powerful cursed transformation. Aside from this transformation, the anime tells the deeper stories of the Yokai who have different goals and motivations for their actions through the inevitable battles with Okarun due to their aggressive nature. Turbo Granny's transformation is a source of power that perfectly highlights Okarun's chivalrous and idealistic personality through a striking design and array of supernatural abilities.
Dandadan It will premiere on October 4, 2024 and will continue to air Crispy roll and Netflix.
